Exposing Brahminism…

Monthly Archives: January 2016

Harassment-induced-suicide among bright Dalit students now spread from IITs and AIIMS to University of Hyderabad with suicide of a Dalit student Rohit Vemula. In one of my earlier posts I had talked about harassment of five Dalit students belonging to Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) by university administration following a complaint by notorious right wing student organization ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) – a student wing or ruling BJP government.

Following clash between members of ABVP and ASA, the student union president Sushil Kumar, who is a member of ABVP had lodged a complaint against ASA students, who are Dalits. The Manuwadi university administration after conducting an eye-wash enquiry suspended five Dalit students. This was not enough for these manuwadi casteist forces. The local BJP MP Bandaru Dattatreaya involved himself and wrote a letter to HRD ministry, which oversees education in the country. The ministry directed the University to take action, who in turn rusticated the five students and revoked the scholarships they were getting.

Here is the letter of BJP MP Bangaru Dattatraya’s letter to HRD ministry.

Rohit, who was from a poor family, was struggling because of rustication and revocation of scholarship by University. He had even borrowed money to fund his studies. Seeing no hope finally he took the extreme step and committed suicide. This is an extremely sad incident and once again makes us think the deep rooted prejudice against Dalits in Indian society.

It is ABVP, university Admin., the BJP MP and HRD ministry are responsible for the suicide of innocent soul. The ABVP had unnecessarily picked a fight with ASA because the later had protested hanging of Yakub and screened a film on Muzaffnagar riot by right wing extremist. From the letter of BJP MP it can be seen that he had accused ASA members being anti-national, extremists and casteist. This is classic case how MPs abuse their official position. The Education ministry is run by an uneducated lady, who had lied about her qualification in electoral affidavit. She even claimed she has a Yale degree.

After electoral victory the BJP govt is reigning terror in academic space. The right wing force completely destroyed educational system in Madhya Pradesh. The Vyapam scandal is well known. They are interfering academic curriculum of colleges and universities and suppressing all forms of dissent. The harassment of dalit students in UoH is just one example.

The first day of every New Year is memorable for dalits not because this is first day of the year but because on this day in 1881 900 valiant dalit soldiers under colonel FF Staunton of East Indian company defeated vastly superior 20000 well equipped soldiers of Brahminical tyrannical ruler Peshwa and dispelled the myth of Aryan superiority.

The Peshwas of Maharashtra, who were Brahmins, were one of the cruelest rulers India had had. They had subjected Mahars (a dalit community residing with them) untold brutality. The Mahars were forced to carry a broom along with them everywhere they went so to sweep up dust of their footprints.. The Mahars under Peshwas were also forced to wear bells so that whenever they enter a street the so-called upper caste residents will be alerted of their presence. Some literatures also recount how the cruel Peshwas made it mandatory for Mahars to carry a pot attached to their neck and hanging in front of them. This was done to collect their own spittle as they were forbidden to spit on the ground.

The Mahars, forgetting all the dehumanizing treatment of so-called upper caste people under Peshwas, extended their support to the king when East India Company at the doorstep of kingdom. By then East Indian Company had annexed most of parts of India and only the powerful Maratha kingdom left to be annexed. Anyway, the arrogant casteist Peshwa ruler Bajirao II rejected the unconditional offer of Mahars. The Mahars switched the side of British as a consequence and the result was an epic of sort.

900 Mahar soldiers (some sources say 500) under Colonel FF Staunton marched to a place Bhima Koregaon on the bank of river Bhima. More than 20000 horse riding gun trotting soldiers of Peshwa awaited them there. Following a fierce battled the vast coward army of Peshwa lost the battle to a valiant army of (just)900 Mahar soldiers. With this victory, the East India company able to take control of India. The British in the honor of martyred Mahar soldiers erected a memorial pillar at the place in 1851. The memorial contains the name of Mahar soldiers who died in the battle.

On the eve of this memorial day I call upon my dalit brethrens not to forget their glorious history. You are the ones who built glorious Indus Valley Civilization. You are peaceful people but don’t remain eternally peaceful and tolerant. Don’t tolerate subjugation and oppression. Derive strength from the history and emancipate yourself. If there is anyone who can free you from this veritable chamber of torture called ‘Hinduism’, it is you yourself.